The Clifton clarion., 1887-02-23
Aeria! Ships Of Warfare.

Professor Rufus G. Wells IS
 thoroughly American, and the ru-
 mors of war following the fish
 bait difficulty between this coun-
 try and Canada have deeply inter
 ested him. If war comas," said
 the venerable skinner of the air
 to Journal reporter, 1 am ready
 to offer my services. Aeronautics
 will hereafter play more impor-
 tant part in warfare than ever be-
 fors. I would propose to the Gov
 erment to make tine same kind of
 8 ralloon 1 made for the French
 Government, making It, however,
 fully 800 feet in length. Such q
 balloon would of course be able to
 carry great weight Let me ex-
 plain how 1t could be used to pro
 tect a hurbor like that of New
 York or Boston. 4 cable attached
 to the balloon would be connected
 with an immense windlass on shore. Prevailing winds on our Eastern coast are from the west.
 The balloon could be let out by
 the cable just like a kite. It could
 be sent out five, ten. fifteen, twenty or even twenty-five miles to sea. There would be telegraph oper-
 ator on the air-ship and one at
 the wlndlass, so that communica-
 ton could be kept up between
 them-or telepoone communica- ton would answer. The balloon
 maneuvred in this way could be brought directly over an enemy's war vessel. Balls dropped from the balloon could determine wheth- CT directly over the ship or not, and when the exact position was found dynamite in any quantity up to even ton could be dropped upon the ship. This, of course, would mean annihilation to any vessel so operated upon. A har
 Dor with a dynamite balloon pois ed over its entrance in this way would be safe from all invasion In Chicago l spoke to Gen. Phi of my method of harbor defense. He was much interested, and invited ne to call on him at Washington and give him full The balloon could be raised or lowered to any height by compressing the gas Such balloons could be operated on our Canadian border, and by means of we could destroy any army sent against us. San Fran CISCO could be protected by balloons in the same way, though perhaps there would be more difficulties to overcome on account of the differ ence in the prevailing winds on the Pacific coast.
 T have invented war kite. on which I intend to take out pa tent. These kites will be operated just as the balloons, by means of q windlass, with an aeronaut or telegrapher on the kite to commu- icate with the shore. The kite can be made several hundred feet in length. and carry, if required, q ton of dynamite. 4 kite could be used in windy weather better than balloon, and 1t could, also, of course, be used even when there was only a light breeze There is no doubt about the accu- racy with which dynamite could be dropped down upon an invader The new destructive substance re gently experimented with in France could be used just as effectively as dynamite. l would be willing to operate these balloons or kites myself and to teach others to oper- ate them. All these things, in case of threatened war, can be got ready in months time. Hun dreds Of them would be needed to defend our coasts. but l have no doubt whatever of the full snccess tbat would attend their operation" Indianapolis Journal.